SHOW ALL THE VIGOR AND APPEAL OF CHRIST'S MESSAGE

VATICAN CITY, APR 13, 2002 (VIS) - John Paul II received this morning the prelates from the Episcopal Conference of Bolivia who have just completed their "ad limina" visit.

In his address, the Pope emphasized that although there is great hope that priestly and religious vocations will increase in the country, it is necessary "to insist tirelessly on prayer to the 'Lord of the harvest'" so that He send more laborers.

The Holy Father said that it is necessary to take special care with "the formation of the candidates to the priesthood and the consecrated life; the shortage of calls to proclaim and give testimony to the Gospel never justifies not demanding due suitability for this crucial mission of the Church. As a result, a solid theological preparation and deep spirituality must be offered to them so that they understand and accept with joy the demands of the ministry and consecration, giving proof that they are capable of 'spending' their entire life for Christ."

"I invite you," he went on, "to continue to instill courage in your seminarians and priests, without being afraid of presenting and demanding unequivocally the requirements which the Church, inspired by the model of the Good Shepherd, asks of its ordered ministers. I think of the necessary priestly fraternity, without any form of antagonism, prejudice or discrimination; of the indispensable obedience and communion, without reticence, to the Bishop, to whom they must offer their entire availability with joy and generosity; of the sincere and effective appreciation of celibacy and of detachment from material goods."

The Pope expressed gratitude for the "contribution to the service of the Kingdom of God in Bolivia" of the numerous consecrated individuals. Also, he said, the presence of many committed lay people is "a sign of vitality. ... Your willingness to promote catechism or encourage community prayer meetings and the reading of the Word of God, deserves sincere recognition by the Shepherds who, in turn, will have to make a great effort to endow them with theological, liturgical and spiritual formation, appropriate of the duties to which they are assigned." The specific vocation of the laity "has a decisive importance in modern society, in which, as is happening in Bolivia, fast and profound transformations are taking place which require respect for ethical principles and the illumination of evangelical values in order that the temporal realities are ordered according to God."

"As in other parts of Latin America, in Bolivia you are worried about the proselytizing advance of the sects. ... However, the firmness of the faith and the complete trust in the strength of the truth itself to win hearts is a beautiful resource to inspire appropriate pastoral activities. One of them is precisely to proclaim incessantly Christ's message in a way understandable to all, ... and, at the same time, showing all its vigor and appeal."
After referring to "difficult moments in the country, due to a delicate social situation, with different conflicts and outbreaks of violence," the Holy Father affirmed: "With you I appeal to all Bolivian believers, based in the faith they profess and in the hope of Christ which encourages them, to become champions of a society free from selfish partisanship, from any form of violence or lack of respect for human rights, especially the right to life."

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JOHN PAUL II BEATIFIES SIX SERVANTS OF GOD

VATICAN CITY, APRIL 15, 2002 (VIS) - At 10 a.m. today, the third Sunday of Easter, the Pope celebrated the Eucharist in St. Peter's Square, and beatified the following Servants of God: Gaetano Errico (1791-1860); Lodovico Pavoni (1784-1849); Luigi Variara (1875-1923); Maria del Transito de Jesus Sacramentado (1821-1885); Artemide Zatti (1880-1951); Maria Romero Meneses (1902-1977).

The Holy Father spoke about each one of the new Blesseds. Of Gaetano Errico, priest and founder of the Congregation of the Missionaries of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, he said: "In an era marked by great political and social changes, in the face of the spiritual rigor of the Jansenists, he proclaimed the greatness of the mercy of God." He was "truly a martyr of the confessional," in which he used to spend entire days.

"Endowed with an especially sensitive soul," Blessed Lodovico Pavoni, priest and founder of the Congregation of the Sons of Mary Immaculate, "committed himself with all his strength to helping poor and abandoned young people, and especially deaf-mutes. He worked in various fields, from education to publishing, with original apostolic institutions to brave innovative activities."

John Paul II recalled that Blessed Luigi Variara, priest of the Society of St. Francis de Sales, went to Colombia from Italy. "From the first moment, he dedicated his youthful energy and the richness of his gifts, to the service of lepers." He founded a group of young consecrated women, "some of whom were even lepers or daughters of lepers," who would become the Congregation of the Daughters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary.

"Artemide Zatti, a Salesian coadjutor, left his family from the diocese of Reggio Emilia in search of a better life in Argentina, where he discovered his vocation to the Salesians, which took shape as a passionate service, competent and full of love, to the sick."

The Pope said that the Nicaraguan nun, Maria Romero Meneses of the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, "received her formation for the religious life in El Salvador and spent the majority of her life in Costa Rica. ... With a passionate love for God and unlimited trust in the help of the Virgin Mary, she was an exemplary religious, apostle and mother of the poor, who, without excluding anyone, were her favorites."

Mother Maria del Transito de Jesus Sacramentado Villegas, foundress of the Franciscan Missionary Tertiary Sisters, is the "first Argentinian woman who achieved the honor of the altars. ... She sought intimacy with Christ in the contemplative life. She did not give up when, because of illness, she had to abandon the monasteries she was in, rather she continued with trust and abandon in the will of God, which she continued to seek incessantly."

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POPE LAUDS CITIZENS MISSION FOR LATIN AMERICAN IMMIGRANTS

VATICAN CITY, APR 13, 2002 (VIS) - Pope John Paul, on the occasion of the Citizens Mission for the Latin American community in Rome, today welcomed members of that community, including cardinals, bishops, priests, religious and lay people as well as leaders of the Rome diocesan office for migrations.

In his talk to them in Spanish, the Pope observed how, in their communities of origin "faith in Christ the Savior has deeply marked personal and family life, as well as the culture of your countries. Zealously preserve, witnessing to it here, in the land to which you migrated, the devotion to your legacy of faith and culture, rich in spiritual values and religious traditions that are expressed in song and celebrations, in dance and in dress, in pilgrimages and in popular devotions to images of the Lord, the Virgin Mary and your patron saints, as you have shown with great joy and unity during this mission."

The Holy Father reminded them that "the Catholic faith ... is the greatest treasure that each of you possess within your most intimate selves and which gives cohesion to your unity and solidarity."

He recalled that the Mission gave special attention to young people and he renewed "the Lord's invitation at the center of the next World Youth Day to 'be the salt of the earth and the light of the world'."

"The Mission," he went on, "was able to take advantage of the efficacious support of the pastoral centers that for some years now have functioned in the city and that care for the spiritual and human needs of immigrants, promoting catechesis, liturgical and sacramental celebrations, and offering all types of help necessary for facing the difficulties that a migrant encounters in order to meet his primary needs, from work to a home to health services."

John Paul II expressed the hope that such pastoral centers, which he said had arisen within generous and welcoming parishes, "will multiply, favoring the necessary integration of your ethnic communities with the Christian and civil communities in Rome."

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DECLARATION FROM ISLAMIC-CATHOLIC LIAISON COMMITTEE

VATICAN CITY, APR 15, 2002 (VIS) - Following is the entire text of a declaration released this afternoon by the Islamic-Catholic Liaison Committee and signed by Bishop Michael Fitzgerald, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue and by Prof. Dr. Hamid A. al-Rifaie, president of the International Islamic Forum for Dialogue. The original text is English.

"What has happened and is still happening in the Holy Land cannot leave anyone indifferent. Muslims, Christians and Jews, along with all peace-loving persons and men and women of good will, are called to common action in order to put an end to this terrible tragedy and to work together towards establishing a just and lasting peace. Accordingly:

"1. We call for an immediate cease-fire, and the withdrawal of the war machine, so as to save human lives, especially those of innocent people, in particular children, women and the elderly.

"2. We appeal for an end to the destruction of property, whether dwellings or other buildings, and the uprooting of plantations and the destruction of other means of livelihood.

"3. We appeal for respect for the rights of civilians in a war situation; nobody should be prevented from access to water, food, medical care, and all the necessities of life. We condemn the denial of such access being used as an arm in the conflict.

"4. We appeal for respect for the sacred character of the Holy Places whose indemnity should be guaranteed.

"5. We are convinced that violence breeds violence. The circle of violence must be stopped. We attest and assert that dialogue is the only way out of the present impasse. We therefore call for negotiations that will lead to a just and lasting peace for Israelis and Palestinians alike, allowing them to live in freedom, security and peace within their own respective independent States.

"6. As believers in the One and Only God, we Christians and Muslims recognize that peace is first of all a gift from the Almighty. Hence we call for constant prayer for peace, and support all initiatives in this line, as well as other initiatives from within the region or elsewhere in favour of a peaceful solution to the conflict."

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OUR ERA NEEDS TO RECEIVE GOD'S FORGIVENESS

VATICAN CITY, APRIL 15, 2002 (VIS) - The Holy Father received at midday today in the Paul VI Hall the pilgrims who came to Rome to participate in the beatifications of the Servants of God Gaetano Errico, Lodovico Pavoni, Luigi Variara, Maria del Transito de Jesus Sacramentado, Artemide Zatti and Maria Romero Meneses.

After emphasizing that Blessed Errico was an "apostle of God's merciful love and martyr of the confessional," he said: "How much our era needs those who proclaim the mercy and forgiveness of God to sinners, in particular through the Sacrament of Penance!"

He went on to say that Blessed Pavoni knew how to develop "an educational method that is based on the means that are typical of 'preventive pedagogy', such as religion and reason, love and mildness, vigilance and knowledge."

Referring to Blessed Variara, who lived in Colombia, John Paul II emphasized that that country could find in him "a help in order to overcome the hard situation which it has endured for so many years and to set out toward a more fraternal and united society."

The Pope asked that the "joyous service to the sick" of Blessed Zatti encourage in "all health care professionals a renewed spirit of service to the sick which brings their nature as a person, having certain inalienable rights, to the forefront."

"Sister Maria Romero's service to poor, with creativity and effectiveness, draws us to her. ... May this service, which gives so much honor to the Church of Christ, never be lacking!"

The Holy Father concluded by expressing his desire that the testimony of Mother Maria del Transito de Jesus Sacramentado serve as an example to so many of her fellow Argentinian countrymen who at the present moment must continue their life as Christians and citizens with enthusiasm, without falling into the temptation of despondency or, what would be worse, a spirit of rivalry or revenge."

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POPE ASKS PRAYERS FOR JUST AND LASTING PEACE IN HOLY LAND

VATICAN CITY, APR 14, 2002 (VIS) - At the end of this morning's Mass with the proclamation of six new Blesseds, and before reciting the noontime Regina Coeli with the faithful in St. Peter's Square, Pope John Paul spoke of the situation in the Middle East, inviting all to pray for a "just and lasting peace."

He recalled that "devotion to the Blessed Virgin is an integral part of Christian life, as we clearly see in the new Blesseds. With trust, therefore, we turn to her, especially entrusting to her all those who are suffering in the Holy Land, from where appeals are arriving to me from all sides. I assure everyone of my spiritual and human solidarity, while I invite all to pray so that the efforts underway to reestablish respect for persons and goods and to favor the advent of a just and lasting peace will be crowned with success."

The Holy Father then greeted the pilgrims present in Spanish and Italian. Noting that Italy is celebrating the Day of Sacred Heart Catholic University, he said: "I wish every good for this important institution that, by joining faith and culture, offers a precious service to all of society."

He also observed that "today is also the Day for Donations and Organ Transplants. I hope that solidarity on the part of many people will give hope to the numerous patients awaiting a transplant."

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, APR 15, 2002 (VIS) - The Holy Father received in audience:

- Miguel Angel Rodriguez, president of Costa Rica, accompanied by his wife and an entourage.
- His Beatitude, Michel Sabbah, patriarch of Jerusalem of the Latins, Palestine.
- Cardinal Miguel Obando Bravo, archbishop of Managua, Nicaragua and Bishop Cesar Bosco Vivas Robelo, respectively president and vice-president of the Episcopal Conference of Nicaragua.

On Saturday April 13, the Holy Father received in audience:

- Enrique Bolanos Geyer, president of Nicaragua, accompanied by his wife and an entourage.
- Two prelates from the Episcopal Conference of Bolivia on their "ad limina" visit:
- Bishop Karl Burgler, apostolic vicar of Reyes.
- Bishop Bonifacio Antonio Reimann Panic, apostolic vicar of Nuflo de Chavez.

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